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just throw in all the ingredients and forget it.

I purchased this Cookworks breadmaker as a treat to myself about two years ago, and I must say I love it. It comes with a small measuring cup and spoon, and all the working parts come apart very easily for cleaning. I have heard many people say that they buy a breadmaker and never actually use it, but I use mine all the time. I just throw in the ingredients and leave it to work its magic. Most loaves take between 2.5 to 3 hours. The recipe book that comes with it is rather limited, but I tend to use the basic ingredients then add my own twist, such as nuts or sultanas in sweet recipes, and cheese, herbs or spices in the savoury recipes. I also go on the internet to search for other ideas to try. I wouldn't be without this little gem, and after two years continuous use, I encountered no problems at all.

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Good value for money and good overnight feature

I like to make bread a couple of times per week, preferring that to buying supermarket bread. It fits with my healthy lifestyle and I know what's going into the product, so buying this bread maker for me, meant I needed to be of high quality. I bought this from Argos and for £40 am really happy with the product.

There are 12 different programmes to pick from, with 3 different crust settings, which really does offer great choice even to the fussiest of eaters! It's even possible to use it overnight so that there is fresh bread in the morning. Or bread can be made on a quick mode in 100 minutes, which I think is a really good time.

The handle on the side is really useful and remind me of a water bucket, but it's an elegant design when you see it and easy to carry around the kitchen. Although storing it in a cupboard can be a little tricky owing to its size.

Overall, I really liked it and it's affordable too.

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a good machine

I make at least 3 times a week my own bread. I tend to live healthy and i just love the smell in the morning ( sometimes i quickly make a bread in the evening :-) but 2 days ago my breadmaker got dropped on the floor and broke. I so love the fresh made bread i just had to get a new breadmaker. The one that i had wasnt available so this one was the next best thing for me. I bought this one at ARgos for £40.

It reminds me of a bucket because of the handle which is really handy to carry around from table to bench, you wont drop it easy now. The maker is white and silver of colour and i find it quite big.

The maker has 12 different programmes inclusing french bread, white bread, sweet bread, dough.It also has 3 different crust settings which is class as you can decided how hard or soft you want the crust to be.This one can also make jam which i still havent tried yet but i have put raisins and cinnamon in a bread and i can surely recommend this as its gorgeous.This one has a 13hr delay programme so you can use it overnight and have fresh bread in the morning.The bread maker has a 100min fast bake time which to me is longer than my old bread maker machine but its better than none.

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Great addition to any busy household

I go through phases of wanting to try new things so it was only a matter of time before I needed to try out a read maker. I loved the thought of having the house smell of fresh bread!

I bought this online a few months ago This model is quite basic but I didn't want to spend loads of money on it before making sure it was something that I could and would use. I paid £25 for it which I thought was really reasonable and thought I would soon make my money back once I started cooking!

I made my first loaf with my 6 year old daughter. The instructions that came with the machine made it very easy to understand and follow. The machine is really easy to use I actually cant believe how difficult it was.

You simply have to add flour, yeast and water to the machine. You then leave it to cook for 3 and a half hours. It really is that simple the bread was ready and smelling gorgeous at the end of that time.

My husband joked that it would be another thing that I would buy and never use again but I have used this a lot. So much so that I am thinking of getting another model that does even more, My daughter absolutely loves helping me to do this and the bread that it makes is delicious!

This model does quite a few of different breads and I think we have tried almost all of them now. My favourite has to be the muffins. I try and make some so we can have them for our breakfast. The great thing about this is that you can set it so that it cooks the bread so it is ready for a certain time. I have set it so that it is just ready in time for breakfast the bread is still warm and the house smells lovely when you first wake up - nothing better than that.

I would and already have recommended this to several people as it really is a great addition to any family home.

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Not bad for a cheap bread maker.

I purchased this bread maker about 2 years ago, and it still works, which is a bonus, considering most cheap electricals break in less than 12 months..I found this bread maker relatively easy to use, just throwing in all the ingredients and selecting the settings using the front buttons, easy as pie, as there is also a booklet that comes with it, explaining how to do it. If I remember correctly, it also contains a few recipes as well.It takes approximately an hour to make bread (depending on the settings you use), and there is also a delay timer, so you can set it to an hour before you get up. It also has settings for making Jam, which i never use, so I cant tell you much about that really.My overall opinion of this machine is 7/10. It can be a bit noisy and does tend to "wobble" about a bit. The bread it makes is not the best in the world, and it can be a bit hard to get the metal mixer tool out of the bread once it is actually made. But what do you want for a cheap machine?

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makes great bread

I bought a cookworks breadmaker from Argos about 2 years ago.It comes in white with all the controls easily accessable .The model I own is in white and silver and is still available on the Argos website, the current purchase price is £37.99 .

WHAT IT DOES .............

This breadmaker is one of my best ever buys ,I can make a loaf of bread in about 100 minutes ,and the aroma when this is cooked ,is fantastic. The smell really fills the kitchen with that just baked aroma ,I'm feeling hungry just thinking of this .I have only ever made the quick white loaf , as my Husband wont eat brown bread in any shape or form.He doesn't know what he's missing. This breadmaker can make different loaves ,it arrives with a recipe booklet with all ingredients listed for each different loaf.The different loaves you can make include , white bread ,french bread , currant loaf ,quick bread [the one I use most often] It will also just make the dough ,so you can then shape and cook your rolls or other shaped loaves in your oven. You can adjust your crust to the one you prefer,I like mine on thr highest setting.There is also an option of a 13 hour timer , so you can set your breadmaker to give you freshly cooked bread in the morning. The largest loaf you can bake weighs 1.5 lbs

The only drawback with this machine is that when the cooked loaf is taken from the breadmaker ,you have to release the mixing paddle, as this has been cooked into the loaf of bread.You will have to wiggle this around to release it , quite difficult as this paddle will be very hot, I use a tea towel wrapped around it to get at it.Taking this paddle out leaves quite a hole in your loaf ,I get around this by serving the first few slices to myself.

The bread maker is very easy to clean ,both the paddle and the metal container can be washed in hot soapy water . The outside can be wiped with a wet cloth.

WOULD I RECOMMEND

I would recommend Cookworks breadmaker as it makes a great tasting loaf.

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Fun to try but I got fed up with it after a few weeks

The blurb for this breadmaker told me to wake up to the delicious aromas of freshly baked bread and the idea of this was too hard to resist. We were in Argos so on impulse we came home with the Cookworks breadmaker.

For once I actually read the instructions. I wanted to bake some wholemeal bread and so I set to work. If you follow the recipe and the instructions it is quite an easy thing to use. I made the largest size of loaf which was 1.5kg. It takes quite a long time as the dough still needs to prove. The fast bake time is 100 minutes so you won't get a loaf of bread in a hurry.

When I'd put the ingredients in the machine and it started the kneading process it did tend to move around on the worktop a bit. I had to make sure I'd put it towards the back of the worktop otherwise it would have been in danger of falling off. Once all the kneading and proving was done the breadmaker started to cook the bread and it did smell delicious. Like all new appliances you tend to keep checking to make sure everything is OK. We couldn't wait to taste the bread.

At last the bread was ready and we had our first taste of home made bread. To be honest it was rubbish. The bread was too crusty and it was heavy. The texture was too close for a good bread. I did persevere with the breadmaker for some time but I never achieved the perfect loaf.

The machine itself was easy to use and it gives a beep when you switch it on to let you know that the power is on. There is an LCD screen and controls on the top of the breadmaker and providing you read the instructions you should find it quite straightforward. There are 12 programmes including: white bread, french bread, whole-wheat, quick bread, sweet bread and dough and there are three different crust settings. You are supposed to be able to make jam and cakes in the breadmaker but I didn't try this. Once you've made your bread the cleaning process is very easy. It really didn't take long to clean up and put it away.

After a few weeks I stopped making bread in the breadmaker and eventually I gave it away to someone who needed a gluten free diet. Apparently making your own gluten free bread and cakes is much cheaper than buying it so this is a consideration.

For me it was an interesting experience but I wouldn't recommend the breadmaker as a way of life. I can make my own bread and although this is hard work and you need strong arms for the kneading process the results are far better than you'd get from a machine. The secret is all in the kneading and following a recipe exactly. It's also about the love and care you put into it and I'm not sure if any machine can replicate this.

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Fresh bread, plenty of choice - our weekend treat

=Cookworks Breadmaker=

I sure like everyone else we have all noticed that the price of bread has literally rocketed and breadmakers are now becoming the normal item in kitchens.

=The breadmaker=The breadmaker I have is the Argos Cookworks breadmaker, it is white in colour, and included with the bread maker, was the bread pan, measuring spoon, measuring cup, kneading blade, instruction manual and recipe book

=Controls=

The controls are on the top of the bread maker, and there is a LCD screen with allows for clear vision of the information of the settings you have chosen. There is also a small see through window so you see how the bread is coming on and what stage the bread is at.

=How to Use=Once you switch the bread maker on, there is a small beep noise, this indicates that the power has gone through to the machine. You open up the lid of the machine and away we go. You do need to follow the instructions of the recipe to the dot, otherwise the bread does not turn out as it should, as his lordship once asked was he to eat the bread or use it as a doorstop.

=Let the magic begin=Once all the ingredients are in, set the machine according, and let it do all the hard work for you, when the machine is kneading you just hear a small noise, like a background noise. Anytime during the process you can look through the clear window and see what stage the bread is it.

=Size=The bread maker can make up to a 2lb size loaf, and has 3 crust settings for you to choose from, range from soft to crusty.

=Time=It can take an hour to make a simple loaf of bread, through to 3 hours for more advanced breads. (these guidelines are taken from the instruction book).

=Additional Recipes=The recipe book show you how to make your basic white and brown bread, muffins, hot cross buns, Chelsea buns, even doughnuts.

I will confess so far I have only made the basic bread, keep saying I will try something different.

=To Clean=The bread maker is really easy to clean, you just soak the bread pan, and wipe clean, then if you have flour or anything around the lid or on the front of the machine, I just used a damp cloth.

=Price=

Cook works is an Argos own brand product and I picked this machine up under £30 in the sale, there are more advanced bread makers, but for the beginner like me this is absolutely perfect.

=Would I recommend=I would highly recommend this bread maker, it is a perfect introduction into the world of bread making, you may have the odd mistake, but life is trial and error, and cooking can be like that, my top tip is follow the ingredients and the method, someone has done all the hard work for us.

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A good buy

This is a review of the Cookworks Breadmaker.

LooksA neat but not hugely inspiring design, but as long as it cooks bread well, who cares.

UseI have found this very easy to use. The recipe book gives clear recipes which produce wonderfully tasty bread. Of course, you have the option to experiment with recipes once you have exhausted it. It includes a measure which makes getting quantities correct a doddle.

Simply add your ingredients, select the mode- the controls are clearly visible and easy to use- and allow it to do the rest for you. It is lovely to have the smell of fresh bread in the house, and if you get impatient you can actually view the progress through the lid!

If you don't wish it to bake, you can make dough. This is great if you want make pizza's etc.

Pros -

So far, it has produced great loaves. I have experimented with recipes and it has coped well with them all. It is fairly quite, the controls are straight forward and accessible, and give a satisfying range of options.

Cons - What's bad about it? (a few words)

On many occasions, the "paddle" has come out inside the loaf. I have missed this, only to find it with the bread knife. However, I have owned other breadmakers - much more expensive models- where this has also happened, so don't think its down to the make.

Summary

I would recommend to any budding bakers. Much nicer than shop- bought bread and very easy to use. Soon becomes a habit!

Conclusion

You wont be disappointed

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Thanks for Reading :)

In the past I have always been a little bit apprehensive when it came to making fresh bread by hand, I wasn't a bad cook by no means, In fact I was quite adventurous in the kitchen trying out new recipes with new different types of ingredients, which at times turned out great. However more often than not, the end product didn't always come out the way I expected it too; that's why I chose to branch out and try using a bread maker; which I hoped would save time, effort and produce a more palatable dish.The other reason for opting to purchase a bread maker was the increasing price of bread loafs in the supermarkets and the quality of the breads not always being great, as I often found supposedly labelled fresh breads to be fairly stale and not fresh tasting.

==DESIGN==

The Cookworks Breadmaker I have is white in colour and is shaped in a rectangular design, and comes with bread pan, measuring spoon, kneading blade, measuring cup and instruction manual and recipe book. The mixture of ingredients are added to the machine via the top lid which is easy to open up. It has a small see-through plastic window which is great as it allowed me to continuously see and check the progress of the bread and far along it was. The controls are located on the top of the bread maker where there are many different settings to choose from; such as crust options. It has nice clear LCD display screen allowing for clear informative viewing of the settings chosen.

==HOW TO USE==

There is a beep noise that sounds once the bread maker is switched on. The non stick bread pan is then removed to which I add the ingredients. Once the ingredients are made into a mixture, a setting should be chosen to instruct the machine the type of bread that you would like to make. It is worth noting that the ingredients should be put in into machine in the right order as instructed in the recipe book. I found myself occasionally getting the order of ingredients wrong, which resulted in a sticky, unshaped bread with incorrect consistency.

I loved how the machine did pretty much everything for you, once ingredients are added you basically just sit back and watch the machine do all the hard work, leaving no mess behind to clean up. The bread machine hardly makes any sound during the cooking and kneading process.

I found the measuring tools that came with the machine to be useful, it allowed me to easily measure the Tsp and Tbsp proportions correctly, the measuring cup however was a little small; making it difficult at times to get the right measure of water for the recipes that required higher levels of fluid. The bread maker can make bread sizes of 2Ib's and has three crust setting to choose from depending on how well you like your bread done.

The recipe book was a great contribution, making, basic bread (white and brown), muffins, Chelsea buns, doughnuts, hot cross buns fairly easy. It can take 1 hour to make simple bread, and up to 3 hours for more advanced larger recipes.

I great advantage to this machine was that it was very easy to Clean and wash; just a short time soaking it hot water and soft wiping with sponge did the job for me.

There are advanced models available, but as a beginner and a bread making novice I think this is ideal.

==PRICE==

I got mine from Argos during a sale and was priced at around £26.99, which is very cheap compared to other more expensive brands and makes very good tasting bread.

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A low cost bread maker for those who want to take the fuss out of bread making

I went through a phase of wanting to make my own bread as it is quite expensive from the supermarket or bakery per loaf; the trouble is no matter how tightly I follow the recipes and instructions my bread is hard and stodgy. So with my soup needing some lovely fresh bread for that extra touch I decided to invest in a bread maker as I remembered my dad using one when I was younger. I remember his was great and we would try making butter and jam in it (this was entertainment in the 90's).

I immediately looked in Argos for a machine as I have bought kettles, microwave and washing machine from here before and feel I can trust the quality. I found the Cookworks breadmaker for £37.99 which I immediately thought was a bargain so decided to reserve and buy it the next day. The machine is white and silver, white not being a colour I usually buy for my kitchen but I convinced myself it matched the fridge freezer so I went with it.

When I had got the breadmaker home I was like a kid at christmas wanting to open the box straight away and look inside (I also wanted to check I'd not got a returned machine that was used or broken!). There was the machine, a measuring cup (for flour etc), spoon (for smaller ingredients such as yeast) plus instructions. The machine was well packaged and was in perfect condition.

The bread machine has a good capacity and can make a loaf up to 0.9kg in size and is powered by 600 watts. There are three crust settings which means that you can alter the crust colour to suit your own tastes; further to this are the 12 individual settings allowing for quick bread, french bread, wholewheat, sweet doughs and the jams. I love the amount of variety available in one machine which makes the price and counter space worth the while.

The machine has an LCD display to count down the time left until the bread is prepared and a selection of buttons to control time, menu, colour, loaf size and to start or stop the machine. There is a function to allow a 13 hour overnight delay for baking, ingredients signal to instruct when extras need to be added and a window allowing for the progress of your loaf to be watched. I find the window is useful when baking with children as they get very excited and enjoy watching the product of their work rise.

Overall my experience with the machine has been positive, however upon first use I noticed that you need to position the bread maker very close to a plug socket as the cord is approx. 1m long. I think the cord is quite short due to the bread maker having the cord storage facility within it so a long cord would take up too much room in the machine.

The adding of ingredients is very simple - just remember liquids first! To remove the bread pan it is easy to twist 45 degrees then remove to add ingredients, to replace the same is done and if incorrectly placed the machine will let you know as it will not start. Once the ingredients are in place the loaf size, type and colour must be selected and then the process begins. Once the bread is finished the machine will bleep; now it is cool to the touch on the outside but wear oven gloved to remove the internal pan as it is hot. The bread also has paddle holes in the bottom as the bread bakes in the same space is is mixed. The bread is obviously quite a rigid spare type shape but do not let this put you off, I have found my loaves to be light, soft and a pleasure to eat. They can be stored in the freezer (I pre cut it when I do this so I can remove a slice at a time) or about 4-5 days in the bread bin. The machine is also quite quiet which is suprising for what it does, the kneading process is the loudest but it has never been an issue day or night.

To clean the machine can be a little bit awkward as the pan has a gap around it for removal and this gap can cause ingredients to fall inside making cleaning a little awkward. However, the pan is non stick and the outer machine requires wiping down after each use.

My favourite method of flavouring my dough is to use pasta sauces or other packet sauces from the supermarket to make quick and easy interesting breads!

This machine is fab for any of us who want to reduce store costs or know exactly what goes into our foods for a healthier lifestyle. I have not tried to make jam yet in this machine but when I do I will be sure to add to the review.

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would recommend

When we got a breadmaker I thought it was a waste of kitchen space. For a starters we don't even use that much bread and I didn't think anyone would have anytime to make some. I was right. However we don't just use the breadmaker for bread - you can use it to make cakes, make curry, allsorts really! It is really quite fast as well. We made a birthday cake in one of these, and it was quite large, and we managed to make in just a few hours. It tasted beautiful and we have made many cake based items with it. We have had it for about 6 months and we don't use it as much as we used to. However its not been unplugged and chucked in the shed like I thought it would be - it gets used at least once a week.All in all, you don't need to be a bread lover to want a bread maker!

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A great kitchen gadget

A compact bread maker which is great for fresh and crusty bread. I love to bake and the smell of freshly made bread that wofts through my home, however dont always have the time to make it, but this gadget allows me to carry on my daily routine whilst baking the freshest and most crusty bread I've ever had from a machine. Okay, so it's not going to create masterpieces, but it makes a great loaf of bread which is both crusty yet spongey and well aired, an everyday bread that everyone will enjoy. The added bonus is the little recipe booklet which comes with it, making the process of baking much easier. Furthermore it is one of the most compact bread makers out there, meaning it fits quite snuggly in the corner of my little kitchen, making more room for more bread (: Overall a great addition to any kitchen, but don't expect a masterpiece to arise from it, just great everyday bread.

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An all round good breadmaker for the price

I love my bread especially if you get to the supermarket first thing in the morning and it's still nice and warm. There's nothing like a nice bit of warm bread slathered in butter. I decided to get myslef a breadmaker after seeing all the packets of flavoured bread mixes you can buy in the supermarket. I didn't wanna spend too much so chose the Cookworks Breadmaker in Argos for £39.97 which was their cheapest breadmaker at the time.

This breadmaker is simple and easy to use it has 12 programmes including white bread, French bread, whole-wheat, quick bread, sweet bread and dough and 3 crust settings, light, medium and dark. It can bake bread up to 0.9kg and you can even make jam and cakes in it!!! I haven't attempted these yet. The fasstest setting to bake your bread is 58 minutes from start to finish and the slowest is 100 minutes. It has an LCD display and a little viewing window so you can see your bread being made if you like. It has a really handy 13 hour delay timer which allows you to pop all your ingredients in at night, set it and wake up to freshly baked bread in the morning!! There's a keep warm function too which is handy if you're not gonna take your bread out and use it straight away.

The breadmaker comes with a really good little recipe book, it's amazing all the different things you can do with it. I've used it to make pizza dough and then taken it out and frozen it for later use. I tend to buy the flavoured packets of bread mix from supermarkets but you can use the bread recipe provided and add your own fresh ingredients to flavour it. The breadmaker actually beeps to signal when to add those ingredients. You can add tomatoe and basil, cheese, onions, garlic. There are so many different flavours you can try.

It has a little pull out loaf shaped pan, this is where you pop in your ingredients, then you simply select your setting, the colour of crust you want and away you go!!! When it's done all you do is pull out the bread pan, take out the little paddle in the bottom of the bread and tip it out. I find that the bread comes out rather doughy and heavy which is very disappointing. It's not light like you expect from freshly baked bread. It does taste lovely don't get me wrong but it is heavy and dense.

It's an ok breadmaker for the price despite the fact the bread is a little heavy. It's great for things other than just a loaf of bread because it mixes, kneads and proofs. If you want rolls all you have to do is take it out, shape and bake in your oven. The same with pizza dough. You can also freeze you dough and use it another time.

An all round good breadmaker for the price

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My love affair with baking & cooking started at an early age. Coming from a family of excellent male home cooks, it was only a matter of time before I developed the 'cooking bug' & a natural flare was expressed.

I could not be described as one of these crazed 'foodies' that encapsulate themselves in all things food like an artichokes leafs to it's heart but I enjoy nothing more, on a Sunday morning, than donning the apron & surrounding myself in culinary paraphernalia. A favourite of mine is bread making & this is where the Cookware bread maker comes into play. I do enjoy working myself into a sweaty frenzy mess, incessantly kneading bread but when time is short & the craving of fresh bread beckons, this machine is a God send. Beginners & more adept bakers will use & love this.

If you're feeling adventurous you can create any of the 'exotic' breads that the recipe book contains (as well as other non-bread recipes), OR you could just add the necessary ingredients & use the dough setting. This takes all of the effort of kneading & the first prove and leaves you with the perfect bread dough that can be shaped, easily, into rolls or thrown into any shaped bread-tin you desire & baked in the oven. This allows for a variety of different finishes, shapes/styles (sorry, went a bit foodie) AND a welcomed baking smell filled house.

Maybe I'm being shallow saying this but the only downside of this machine is aesthetics of the product: the loaf is a little small, but it's that simple to make, you could use it a few times a week (for those bread enthusiasts). This is easy to clean, dishwasher safe(well the parts that come directly in contact - not the whole machine ha ha) & ingredients are relatively cheap, so its just as convenient as going to the supermarket but it tastes better & is likely better for you.